Officially in the West!

It’s been quite some time since I’ve had time to post. This past week was definitely the most challenging week of riding we’ve had so far. In just six days we covered about 560 miles including two days over 100 miles. It was definitely difficult on both my mind and body, but I am definitely really satisfied and happy that I did it. We’re about 60% of the way across the country, with our total mileage well over 2000 miles. The whole group has become really close and comfortable with each other as well. I think I can come close to calling us a family.

It is interesting the way that we know each other though. I was chatting about this the other day with one rider on the trip, Peter. We have gotten to know each other by observing how each person overcomes a significant mental and physical challenge. I feel like no one will ever really know me the way the people on this trip know me. It’s interesting and great to know that people other than myself have seen me in this way.

Anyway, the most challenging day we’ve had so far was definitely our first day this week. We had 108 miles to cover to get from Carroll, IA to Sioux City, IA, with pretty severe headwinds and some pretty steep rolling hills. I rode with two awesome people, Isabel and Justin, who were nice enough to wait for me a couple times at the top of a few big hills. I was definitely relieved to finish that day.

The next day we crossed over into South Dakota, heading for Yankton, but not without any issues. Our day was supposed be under 70 miles, but we ended up with about a 13 mile detour, making the day particularly long. The headwinds again posed a significant challenge. I felt pretty good at the end of the day though.

My best day this week was an 87 mile ride from Lake Andes, SD to Winner, SD. A good friend on the trip Shawn, who is a particularly fast rider, slowed down and rode with me. We had an awesome day. We got out on the road early, a little after 7AM. It was absolutely gorgeous. South Dakota has been one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. The riding was awesome. The morning was nice and cool, and the hills were just the right size. We (and by “we” I mean “I”) sprinted the last ten miles into Winner and it felt great. The towns here are awesome as well. The people have been great and extremely welcoming.

We also crossed over the Missouri River that morning, so we are officially in the West now. The Missouri River was the river that Lewis and Clark explored on their famous journey. One person in Winner told me that farmers and ranchers are sometimes considered the same thing, just farmers work East of the Missouri and ranchers work West of the Missouri. Another people told us we smelled “gamey” when we arrived in Winner. I’m not really sure what that means, but it’s definitely a new word for my vocabulary.

I am really satisfied with this week in general. I feel really strong and healthy. 90 miles isn’t a big deal to ride any more. I would consider anything less than 70 miles to be a light day. It’s weird how everything has changed. A ride more than 30 miles was a long ride when I was training, now it’s not enough of a workout. It’s crazy.

Today we had another Day Off, our second of the summer. We’re in Chadron, NE. I went for a hike with three other riders, Peter, Maso, and Ariela. There was a pretty big cliff that we got a ride most of the way to that we thoroughly explored. We climbed up the side and then down the other ridge. The view was outstanding. I’m not really sure what I expected Nebraska to look like, but it certainly was not that.

Here’s some pictures from the week:

Great faces in South Dakota!  (I’m George Washington!)

Hay bale art:

Top of a hill overlooking Lake Andes

Nebraska!

The view from the top of the cliff!

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